The Heros' awakening
by Mobiledet3
Summary: Set right before the beginning of Skyrim, our Hero has awoken to fend for the Empire once again, but can our hero coup with the monster they have become? Lets all find out.
1. Chapter 1

The Heros' awakening

"Dammit Dreth, why the hell did we agree to do this?" A man spoke, wrapped in leather armor, wielding a blooded steel sword from a fallen drauger. Frost escaping his lips, cool mist flowing thru the snowy mountain air.

"We've lost two guys already trying to get up here, and now we are going to go in this dark and damp cave that's full of… who knows what?"

"Quiet Amon." A high elf, clad in damaged and cut elven armor, standing at an entrance to a wide cave mouth while about to address the other three members of his traveling party.

"The map that old man gave us leads here, and when there are enemies like this, that means there's treasure." The high elf was catching his breath after the short fight they had with the old sword wielding corpses that were attacking them just, moments ago.

"See, that's the issue I have Dreth." Amon sheathed his blade before taking a few slow steps closer to the tall high elf.

"Why would a random old man in a dark cloak give a bunch of mercenaries a treasure map? It doesn't make any sense" before the high elf could answer or respond, a loud shambling shriek echoed out of the entrance to the cave, forcing the group to turn in a small panic.

The bickering between the two men stopped, and the party of five, a high elf, a Breton woman and three Nords, all looked at each other in anticipation. The group had their reservations about coming here, and now their resolve has worn away even more. Regardless of this, Dreth and his company did not want to miss out on an opportunity to score big.

"Well…" the woman who wore a set of banded iron armor started to open her mouth to speak. "I really hope this trip is worth it. I have a cat at home that I need to get back to." A feeling of anxiety was hidden in her words, for she knew something was wrong the moment they crossed south of Helgen.

"Fine, you big babies. I guess I'll go in ahead." Dreth, with a pang of frustration, strode past Amon and the woman who stood by.

He drew out his tarnished elven blade from its dilapidated sheath, ready to duel with anything that he came across his path. The cave tunnel went on for almost one-quarter mile deep until it came into a clearing. Sun light poked through cracks, and a small rushing water fall cascaded on the far end of the open cavern.

"So…" Amon looked around the open cavern, searching for the treasure the old man had promised. "Dreth, I don't see anything that resembles any value. Are you sure this is the right place?" Amon, with a look of confusion, peered around all the corners of the open cave, trying to find any clue as to this treasure they were promised.

As soon as the group was ready to give up the search and head back toward the caves entrance, the woman in the group pointed out a shining object in the middle of the small lake where the waterfall spewed its blue liquid.

"There! I see something in the water, just below the falls." A vibe of surprise and excitement in her voice.

The group of mercs rushed over the waters' edge, hoping to get a glimpse of this shining object the woman saw. The object was a long broad sword, its blade embedded deep into the floor of the lakes' soft bed. Dreth ordered the woman to go, and to retrieve the sword. He wished that it might bring some value to the gang.

The woman, not wanted to upset her leader, did as she was told, and proceeded to enter the large pond. She submerged herself in its warm clear water, and plunged down to grab a steady grip onto the weapons' hilt. She pulled with all her might, and with a stubborn metallic whine, the blade broke free of the sediment below. The woman came back onto dry land, and gave the large sword to Dreth for inspection.

"I don't understand." Dreth spoke while examining the rusted steel blade that was handed to him. "is this that treasure the old man spoke of? What a waste of time." just before he was to discard the mondane piece of steel entirely, Amon pointed something out.

"Um…" Amon, trying to gather his sense. "Where did that blood come from at the end of the blade?" Dreth looked down toward the tip of the rusted two-hand sword, and sure enough to his surprise, thick red ichor ran down the tip.

Just as all the others in the group were intrigued with the red liquid on the blade, one of the men in the group heard a whisper coming from with the pond. The voice was serene, and beckoned him to come toward the middle of the falls. The man slowly inched his way into the water, and dove in toward the voice that rang within his mind. Just as soon as the man reached to where he believed the voice originated from, a feminine hand rushed out of the ponds' floor. A pair of red eyes followed with them. Before the man could do anything, the hands grasped hold of his hair, pulling him more toward the bottom of the lake.

"Wait. Where's Braton? The Woman asked after seeing the hulking nord was no longer with the group. "This place isn't that big, so where could he have gone?" without anyone saying a word, her question was answered within moments.

The body of the man flew out of the water, and landed at Amons' feet, with two puncture wounds on the nape of his neck. The man was dead, and blood ran profusely out of the two holes. Amon looked down at the dead man that laid before him, and back toward the water. Watching as a womanly figure creeping her way thru the moving tide of light blue to reach the shore. She was a Nord who had long jet black hair, broad shoulders and she was naked with water running down her body.

The rest of the group was dumbfounded, not knowing what to do. The woman came up to the female group member first, asking her in this methodic tone, nearly putting the bbreton in a trance.

"You were the one to pull that cursed blade from within me?" with a soft and gentle touch, the woman placed her hand on the mercenaries head, and a black orb surrounded her hand. The power seemed to transport her into a obedient like state, and forced the female mercenary to slip into unconsciousness.

"There we go." The woman from the pond muttered as the breton dropped to the wet floor. "Now, It has been too long since I've last fed." The womans' eyes peered up from the ground, displaying a pair of bright red orbs for eyes, and a pair of threatening fangs protruding from her upper lips of her mouth.

"Vampire!" Amon shouted out as he drew his steel blade, and he rushed in to strike a crushing blow to the fiend that stood before him, only to be met with a sudden halt in his advance. The man looked down to see the womans' arm half deep in his chest with bright red blood oozing out of the sides. Before Amon could even register what was happening, the woman removed her hand, and sunk her fangs dee into the bulk of his neck with such virility.

"All of us must attack at once." Dreth commanded, still reeling from what had just happened, with spit and slime escaping his mouth. "The fiend dies today."

With sheer swiftness, the woman tore off the arm of one of the other men, and separated the head of the other. As if the two were nothing to the creature, the woman stood in front of Dreth with a wicked smile and spoke with blood still gushing from her mouth.

"My dear elf, pray to Talos you gather strength because I sure as Marunes, I will tear you asunder." The womans' voice rose to where it echoes throughout the cavern and into the wilderness beyond. Within moments, Dreth and the woman exchanged blows for what seemed like a few minutes with the woman sinking her hands deep in the shoulder of the high elf.

Just as the woman drained the blood from the high elf and separated his head from his body, her eyes began to slowly dull and wither to a light maroon color, and her malicious grin was replaced with a tinge of regret and confusion. She acted as if she was waking from a long nightmare, and in her panic as to what she had just done, she screamed out. She frantically looked around for any article of clothing, and could only find a pair of ragged cloths that wasn't stained with blood.

The woman looked around at the carnage she brought upon the group of travelers, and she knew she had to leave. She moved with a quickness toward the entrance to the cave and the outside, and once she finally made it outside, the power of the sun halted her advance. She grew week and frail, but she knew she had to find a way to get as far away from that place as she could.

The pale woman ran for an hour before coming cross a group of soldiers clad in fur armor that were camped up in the hill side south of Helgen, a city that is closest to the border between Skyrim and Bruma.

"Please…" The woman was so weak from the short travel in the blaring sun, she nearly collapsed in front of the encampment.

"Help me." Her blood feeling like it is boiling, and her energy nonexistent, her legs gave out before anyone could reach her. Right before she lost consciousness, she heard one of the fur and scale clad soldiers speak "King Ulfric sir, we need to get moving…"


	2. Chapter 2

A Heros' lament

 _"We need to get to the temple of Akotosh. We must hurry!"_ A mans' voice echoed in her mind, causing fear and panic within her. Visions of her with a man whom had a necklace that had a diamond shaped ruby in the middle, etched across her thoughts as she was unconscious.

" _It is time."_ The man in her vision smiled at her as they came up to an entrance of a temple, and her vision went dark once again, the mans' face slowly melting away as she woke up.

The womans' vision returns to her like a blinding light, and she finds herself in a rough moving wooden cart with three other men. Two of whom she recognizes from the camp where she collapsed earlier that day. Before she could get her bearings straight, the man that sat across from her spoke.

"Looks like you're finally awake." The man that sat across from her spoke to her. His blonde hair and rough stubble beard drew her attention. She recognized him as one of the men who helped her right before she collapsed, seemed like moments ago to her.

"You were trying to cross the border, same as us right? Like that horse thief over there." The woman shifted her focus to the man that sat adjacent to her toward the back of the carriage, but her focus was becoming blurry and swirling as the suns' rays pierced thru the tree branches.

As the conversation ran on, the woman seemed to only pay attention to where she was. She took in every detail that surrounded them. The lush trees, dirt covered stone road and even the soldier that rode driver position in the cart with them. Soon, they came across stone walls and wooden gates that house the city of Helgen, a keep that is near the southern border of Skyrim.

"General Tulius sir, the… are waiting." The sudden burst of a mans' voice broke the woman out of her day dream that lasted for mere minutes, and she looked over the cart passed the blonde haired Nord. A man wearing red legion armor with gold trimming, and a group of high elves not far from them. She couldn't recognize anyone here nor their outfits, but she knew she had to have been asleep longer than she thought.

The cart came to a stop next to an arch way, close to a brick tower where a headsman stood. She heard a ruckus at the back of the cart, and heard the thief protest his foreseeable demise. She watched as the man protested his imamate fate to the guards that held them captive.

"Wait, we aren't with them. Tell them." The man in rags pleaded with the imperial woman in heavy steel armor. Nobody truly is prepared to die.

The man ran away from his captures, and the soldiers demanded he stop at once. The man in rags refuse, but he didn't get very far. After the man ran only a few yards away past the armored woman, an arrow whizzed thru the air, striking the man dead. His body collapsed on the muddy stone road, laying there still as death.

"Anyone else feel like running?" the imperial woman in heavy armor spoke out to the remaining prisoners, but a Nord walked up to the vampire woman and asked her with an confused expression on his face.

"Who are you?" the man asked the vampire lady, but she struggled to recall. She though hard, and she finally realized her name at least.

"Zakira. My name is Zakira, and I am a Nord." Zakira, almost excited to even remember her name, shouted out for whom she was called. Her excitement was met with a gloom face from the other Nord whom asked her, knowing what fate awaited her.

"Perhaps you can take some solace that you'll be buried in your homeland, I am truly sorry." The imperial Nord was sympathetic to Zakira, he knew too much of this war and what it cost. He has lost too many friends in this feud to think of what will happen once it's all over.

Zakira heard the call for the prisoners to line up to the cutting block where the headsman waited with his monstrous axe, urging to cleave off one of their heads. He didn't have to wait long before he claimed his first victim, a Nord in fur armor who spouted on about how his ancestors are smiling down on him. Zakira was confused as to why all this fighting and killing, and knew she had to find a way out of this. A loud beastly shout rang out and echoed in the air, but the soldiers quickly regained their composure.

Before Zakira could even think, she found herself kneeled over the cutting block, waiting for her head to be separated from her shoulders and send her into the realms of oblivion. But her fate, as it would appear, decided to take a different turn. Just before the headsman could lift his axe, a black dragon landed on top of the stone keep from where she kneeled, and shouting a thunderous roar, changing the very sky around them.

Amongst all of the confusion, Zakira blacked out, and her body seemed to move on its own. The smell of burning wood and flesh filled her nostrils, and the sight of death and despair washed over her eyes. She remembered hearing conversations between men and shouting, but she could not focus for the life of her. She still remained weak from the suns effect on her body, and she found herself inside one of the stone towers, listening to the Nord soldier who sentenced her to death not moments before.

"Are you ok? Was that really a dragon, the bringer of the end times?" the soldier spoke in a tone she knew too familiar. He was scared, but he didn't want to show it.

"The names Hadvar, soldier of the empire, and perhaps we can work together in getting out of here. What do you say?" Hadvar seems eager to get Zakira on his good side, considering that she was the only one who didn't want him dead.

"Well, I guess it beats staying here waiting to become dragon stew. Seems like he likes his meat well done." Zakira allowed Hadvar to cut the straps that bound her hands together, and proceeded to walk toward a weapons racks on the far end of the room.

"I prefer my meat rare and bloody." Zakira gestured to Hadvar as she hoisted an iron axe from the weapon rack, giving him a sly wink as she belted the hefty blade along her hip.

Zakira relished in the dark cover of shelter, the sun no longer having its deathly hold on her. She also found some legionnaire cloths, and she figured it would be better than trying to fight wearing rags.

"And don't worry about me, I know how to use this… among other things." She paused on the last part as she tried to remember a piece of her past, her mind clouded and hazed.

The two Nords rushed on to find a way out, encountering resistance along the stone pathway. Zakira learned that these fur clad soldiers were named 'Stormcloaks', and that they are fighting the Empire for independence. Hadvar tried to reason with them to not fight in this hour of uncertainty, but they attacked the two on sight without hesitation. Zakira cut one down within moments, severing the mans' arm clean from his torso with a heavy downward strike with the axe. Another stormcloak came swinging her long iron two-handed blade directly toward Hadvar, but was deflected when Zakira blocked the attack with her own blade. As the stormcloak was reeling from the failed attack, Hadvar stepped in, and thrusted his blade into the chest of the soldier, spilling her blood of red ichor all over the stone floor.

"Thanks for that Zakira. You saved me, big time." Hadvar thanked Zakira with warm gesture of gratitude, not knowing she was now in a battle within her mind.

The spilled blood on the dirty floor reminded Zakira of just how hungry and weak she was feeling. Staring down into the crimson fluid, the blood called out to her, demanding her to feed. To slate her thirst from the man she just saved. Before she knew it, her hands were reaching out to grasp Hadvar by the throat, but was snapped out of her trance by a loud crashing sound.

"By the gods, this dragon is relentless." Hadvar spoke while broken stones and wood came crashing down, impeding the path there recently about to travel down.

The two had to take the door to the side of them where they encountered more stormcloak soldiers, wanting to kill them just as much. Zakira and Hadvar dispatched the soldiers with ease with Zakira struggling with all her might not to allow her thirst to run rampant as she did when she finally woke.

The room where they went next sent a chill down her spine, as she wasn't prepared for what the empire had stooped so low into doing. The two came to a room down stairs, crowded with torture cages, equipment and tools. She noticed all the old caked on blood from previous victims, and she also noticed imperial soldiers fighting with stromcloak soldiers, the sound of steel clashing and leather stripping.

"Oh gods, the torture room. I always pray we didn't need these." Hadvar thought aloud as he and Zakira entered the fray, aiding his fellow imperial comrades.

Zakira twirled around an opposing soldiers' trust, and brought herself behind him, slashing across the mans' back with her iron axe, causing blood and meat to burst out. The sight of fleshy meat almost brought the vampire over the edge, but she focused on her surroundings to get within her bearings.

As Zakira regained her focus and the blood vision subsided, she realized the other stormcloak soldiers laid dead on the wet floor. She holstered her axe once again in her hip harness, and proceeded to find Hadvar, who was talking to an older man who appeared to be the dungeon master. She gathered that the two in the dungeon have no idea that a dragon has come, and that the creature is attacking the castle. After she saw a dead mage in a steel cage, she picked the lock, and the woman took the spell book the man left behind.

Hadvar, Zakira and the other imperial soldier came across more stormcloaks down in the sewer area of the fort, engaging in a heated battle which left four stormcloaks and the other imperial man dead in the wading waters below. The vampire looked over to the Nord soldier, and knew they weren't getting out anytime soon. She held in her desire to feast on his blood since the moment he cut her loose from her bonds. The mans' blood beckoned her, promise of sweet delight and ecstasy. The rhythmic thumping in her mind was relentless.

Zakira was broken from her trance once again as she heard loud crashing of stones once more, seeing as the path her and Hadvar had just walked past, was now in crumpling ruin. Sealing off the path to the castle they just left. Now, the two find themselves along an underground stream, and they hoped it led outside.

"Why were you with those stormcloaks?" Hadvar, finally having a moment to talk to Zakira as they both walked down stream in the dark and damp undercrofts of the castle. He could sense hesitation from her, and he didn't want to pressure her into relieve anything she didn't wish to.

"I just noticed that you and that horse thief didn't exactly fit in with the group, especially you." His sight taking her in, trying to study her body movements.

"Well, I'll just say that I woke up from a very deep sleep, and I sort of got lost. Then these stromcloaks were the first ones I came across." Zakira, not wanting to mention the nasty business she did with those adventurers, broke off the conversation as they entered a small cavern.

As the duo entered the dank cavern, giant hairy spiders repelled down from the ceiling, poised to do them harm. Hadvar, as well as Zakira, readied their blades for battle. As one jumped toward him, he side stepped away and slashed down, severing a few of its legs from its body. Zakira ran from behind him, slashing upwards with her axe, and she eviscerated the grotesque arachnid before it sank its fangs in her companions' neck. Hadvar was thankful, giving her quick side hug and a short glance before the two proceeded forward.

They both could sense an opening coming up. The cavern was getting brighter, and they could hear the rustling of trees and foliage, but there was one problem. A black bear was between them and their way out of the dank passageway. Hadvar and Zakira weighed their options, and considered alternatives.

"Are you good with a bow, Zakira?" Hadvar began to hand the vampire a bow before she swatted it away.

"No. I never really learned how to use those things." She never liked the idea of taking someone or something out from a far distance. She always preferred a straight face-to-face fight.

The two thought about attacking, but decided that it would be best to sneak around rather than fight a giant black bear, considering the fact that they were both exhausted.

After carefully tip-toeing their way past, they finally saw a bright light that marked the end of the tunnel. The fresh air never felt so good to Hadvar, and Zakira knew that she needed to find something to feed on, fast.

As the two exited the cavern entrance, they were met with the flapping sound of great wings, the dragon that was attacking Helgan. Hadvar and Zakira hid behind a bolder as it fly past, not wanting it to finish them off next.

"Looks like it's gone for good this time."Hadvar, with a sigh of relief, turned to his companion and spoke further. "I really appreciate your help, I wouldn't have made it without your assistance."

"Don't worry, I'm glad you were with me in all of this as well. And don't worry, I won't let the fact that I was about to get my head cleaved off, make me feel any less of you." Zakira taunted Hadvar in response, but she knew she had to leave soon.

"Well, if you could, meet me in Riverwood when you can. It's a town not too far from here. There, we can discuss what we can do next." Hadvar and Zakira shook hands, and quickly departed after exchanging short glances and smiles.

She knew that if she traveled with him any longer, she would have a hard time refraining herself from draining him dry. No, she knew she had to find sustenance elsewhere.

Zakira looked back as she began to leave Hadvars' company, and she had little intentions of seeing him in Riverwood. As she thought this, she couldn't shake the feeling that she will be seeing him again, hopefully not too soon. The sun was hung high in the sky, and she had to find a place to hide. Just thin, she caught a whiff of a pleasant scent.

"Bandits…"


	3. Chapter 3

*****Hello everyone… or anyone bothering to read. This week was painful for me due to the fact windows 10 update ruined my computer, so I had to use my schools' computer to complete this chapter. I apologize in advance if it is terrible. Thank you for reading, and be safe out there.*****

Zakira watched as Hadvar slowly disappeared into the distance, heading toward his town of Riverwood. His scent slowly faded, but was replaced with a fresh sent of human blood, something that she will soon indulge herself in. She traveled down the side of the mountain for a short distance before the blood scent finally became over whelming. To her delight, a bandit stood outside of a cave mine entrance.

"That's close enough milk drinker." The bandit greeted Zakira with distain, not wanting to deal with any trouble.

"Milk drinker?" Zakira looked down to herself, and realized she still sported imperial cloths. "Oh no. I took these from a sorry lad up the way. Perhaps you can help me find something… more comfortable?"

Zakira slowly inched her way to the weary bandit, is weapon poised to do battle. She strode with a seductive motion, enticing him to let his guard down. Once she was close enough to the man, she stared directly into his eyes, controlling his emotions.

"Embrace me." Zakira spoke with honeyed words that made the hairy bandit shudder, and he dropped his blade. He slowly allowed her to get even closer, and She cautiously wrapped her hand around the mans' chin.

With the mans' submissive gave into the vampires grasp, Zakira violently twisted his neck to the side, and she sunk her fangs into her prize. Blood gushed forth into her mouth with such force, some of the sweet red ichors flowed down her chin. Her eyes grew bright red as she fed, feeling the life slowly drain from the mans' body. Once she finally drank all she could, the man fell to the ground, eyes void of any light. She looked down as she wiped her mouth of the blood, and grinned as to what her next move she would do.

"Aren't you worried that someone can just wonder in here? The caves' entrance isn't exactly hidden you know." A scruffy bandit spoke to another with concern in his voice. The man appeared exhausted and weathered from years of banditry and villainry.

"This again? You're still on about this Revard? Look, I told you already, there's a reason we have a guard posted out front, and don't forget about the rock trap." The other bandit, obviously agitated about the others' antagonizing questions. A brute of a man, yet he seemed a tad bitter smarted than the simpleton Revard.

"Now go get some rest. I don't want you dozing off like you did last time."

The conversation between the two ended, and Revard began to crawl into his bed roll that was snug up again the stone side of the cave mine. As the other bandit began to walk up a wooden step bridge that crossed over a small waterfall in the cavern, he looked over to see another bandit slowly shambling toward him, completely unaware of what happened to his friend outside.

"Goonvar, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be…" The bandit finally realized what had happened to his friend as the shambling dead bandit came within the light from a roof crack that littered the rock ceiling.

As soon as the fight between the two thieves began, Zakira was slowly inching her way out of the standing water that was near Revard, whom was nearly laid out on his bed roll. As soon as he heard clashing of steel from up above, he tried to get out of his bed, but something heavy stopped him. Zakiras foot was placed on the bandits chest, and with a wide grin on her face, she pounced on the man.

The walking corpse of Goonvar slowly came down with his iron sword to strike a blow to the hulking bandit, but the man dodge the zombies attack just in time. Right before he could counter attack, a pale feminine hand grasped the side of his face, and with a sharp jerk of the wrist, Zakira brought the man's face with her own. With her long fangs blooded from the bandit before him and deep red eyes of malicious hunger, she savored the man's fear as she plunged her teeth deep in the man's jugular. Within moments, he too was dropped on the wooden floor with a thud, dead as the winter's night. With a satisfaction that the man was dead, Zakira looked on to the ghoul who now stood before her, and she quickly dispelled the magic that brought his body back from oblivion. The zombie was reduced to ash.

Zakira was not yet satisfied, and she could smell more mortals within the cave, just waiting for her to feast upon. She looked around, and saw that there was a lever up top of an overlook of the bridge where she stood. She strolled up to this lever, and as she pulled it down, a draw bridge came down, connecting two side of the cavern. As soon as the bridge went down, two more bandits came running out, confused as to why the lever was pulled.

"What in the name of Kenerath happened here?" one of the brutes laid eyes upon the aftermath of the battle that took place just moments before, and he began to shake with anticipation and excitement.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Just then, Zakira jumped down from the over look, and brought down her iron axe on top of the bandits shoulder, severing the mans' arm clean off. With a scream, he looked at the bloody stump that used to be his forearm, and saw a pair of red eyes charging after him. He was in a daze, and didn't even notice the women eviscerated him with a sheer swiftness he had never seen before. He looked down, and he saw entrails pouring out, only discovering too late what happened.

As the first man fell dead on the floor covered in his own filth, the second bandit charged in to strike a blow to Zakira. She blocked the man's attack with her axe, and brought out her left hand, spewing flame from her palm. The man was engulfed in a bright red flame, and in his panic, began to run straight off the bridge and into the waters below. The vampire thought the man might have died on impact, but she could sense the mans heart still beating within his chest.

Under the shaking water, Zakira dove in, and grasp hold of the man by his beard. He began squirming, but lost the energy to fight as she began to choke him. Just moments before he passed out, she punctured the mans' neck with her bloodied fangs, greedily drinking his sweet red liquid. As soon as she was done, she left the body to float there, ever so morbid scene to anyone who entered.

Zakira wasn't done. She dispatched three more bandits within the cave, and she even tossed one bandit into a forge pit full of red hot coal, burning unfortunate soul alive. Finally, she could no longer sense anyone left, and her thirst had finally subsided. She began to think hard to herself as to what she had done, and a pain of disgust ran through her mind and soul.

 _"Am I a Monster?"_ Zakira thought to herself as she wiped the blood off her chin and mouth, slowly taking off her blooded imperial leather armor.

Zakira decided that she would need a small bath before she did anything, so she proceeded to jump in the small cenote that formed from a small waterfall with the cave. The cool water flowed over her body, and she relished in the small relief from sweat and grime from the day. As she finished her time in the small underground pond, she contemplated if it was a good idea to see Hadvar once again, to discuss the dragon problem they faced.

After a few moments of clarity, Zakira decided it was time to move once again. She remembered how to create armor back in the day, so she decided to take a set of iron armor from the fallen bandit she dispatched earlier, considering that was the only piece of clothing that wasn't drenched in red ichors from the fights previous. Thankfully for her, it was a perfect fit.

Zakira left at the back entrance of the cave, and relieved to find that the sun had just set, so she wouldn't have to deal with that mocking ball of misery that hung high in the sky. She smiled to herself as she tried to remember the way back on to the road. After a brief scuff with a pack of wolves, Zakira finally made it on the stone pathway to Riverwood, and she remembered Hadvar telling her to head north east along the river that paralleled the road.

Upon entering the town, Zakira could notice the lush foliage that gave Riverwood wilderness feeling to the locals, as if the town itself was carved from the forest itself. Between hearing a conversation between a son and an elderly mother, two men were bickering over one woman and guards watching her every move. She couldn't remember the last time she came across large groups of people, and she tried to remember how to react to such volume of personalities. Just when she began to think she was lost, she overheard two people complain about thieves stealing something of theirs.

"Well, one of us has to do something." A young woman was speaking to, what Zakira could only assume was her brother.

"I said no… oh. Sorry, I didn't see you there." The man realized they weren't alone, and proceeded to speak with Zakira. The man had a face of curiousity and surprise written along his face.

Zakira listened to what the man had to say, discovering that a group of bandits stole a golden claw that belonged to them, and that they are willing to pay anyone who would retrieve the artifact for them. The prospect of not only killing lowly bandits, but being able to get citizens to like her, really intrigue the vampire. She agreed to help, and as she walked away from the brother and sister, a familiar face was there to greet her.

"Well now, aren't you a welcome sight." Hadvar spoke with a warm smile and a hand wrapped around a stone mug of ale. A familiar face made Zakira feel a little more at ease, but the soothing voice of his was like honey to her ears. She could remember the sweet aroma of his sweat and blood, and she couldn't hold back a smile of her own. She got so caught up in the moment; she almost let her fangs show for all to see. The quickly covered her mouth because the last thing she wanted, was a lynch mob after her.

"Hadvar." Zakira struggled to speak with part of her mouth covered, considering her fangs were still in full length. She let her hands down after a short while, controlling her urge to show fang.

"I'm so glad to see you. I got held up in a cave along the way. I swear, the bandits here are so rude." She blushed as she spoke about the mine cave, knowing full well what she had done to those would be bandits. She's not normally real violent, but she makes exceptions when it comes to people who harm innocent people.

The two exchanged a brief should hug, and Zakira followed Hadvar to his uncles cabin that had a blacksmith station with it. The conversation between her, him and his uncle showed that they needed to do something and fast. His uncle implied that it would be a good idea to start by letting the Jarl of Whiterun know what happed to Helgen, and to send addition aid to them in case a dragon did attack. The two nodded to one another, and Zakira motioned to leave. Right before she left the town limits, Hadvar stopped her.

"Zakira, wait up." Hadvar was just a few feet away from her, quickly closing the gap between the two.

"I just wanted to mention one more thing. If you happen to make it to solitude, find general Tulius."

"Why?" Zakira responded to Hadvar, confused as ever from the random statement.

"Well, for one, I think he would like to know that I made it out safe." Hadvar put his hands on Zakiras' shoulders, only inches apart from each other. "Second, I think you would make a fine legionnaire. I saw how you handle a blade, an axe no doubt."

With a smile, Zakira held onto Hadvars hand for a few seconds, and nodded in recognition. She turned to walk out of town, and shortly after she left, she looked back toward where he stood. She saw no sign of him, but she knew that she would see him again. After all, he is the only friend she has in Skyrim.

Blood gushed from the fallen foe as Zakira hefted her new steel axe out of the back of the bandit. All the way up in the mountains, she could see Riverwood from there. The mountain snow flew around in a whirlwind as she traversed upward to this ancient burial chamber where these bandits took the golden claw. So small was the town from way up at Bleak falls Burrow, she could almost make out the people. After she dispatched the remaining bandit that stood outside the great doors the lead inside, Zakira could barely see the small glimmer of light that shown high in the sky. Sunrise was fast approaching, and she wanted to be inside when the sun came with its fiery retribution.

Moments after Zakira entered to dilapidated building, she slew two more bandits, and almost had to kill a third, but she witness something intriguing. She came up an entry way where gate stood blocking the path. A slender thief stood next to a lever, and pulled it with ease. The next thing that happened was arrows shot out from all directions, killing the man instantly.

"What a fool." Zakira giggled to herself as she watched the man collapse, covered with tiny poison tipped arrows. She knew this was special.

Zakira observed the gate, and noticed three symbol stones that stood above the metal barrier. She thought to herself for moment, and found that it was a combination to open the gate without losing one's life. She rotated three stones to the symbols that hung above and then pulled the lever. The gate opened with a whine, and she proceeded down the spiral staircase.

Zakira came down the hall after the staircase and hear a man talking. He seemed like he needed help, and she moved quicker to assist. When she finally arrived at the chamber where she heard the voice, she was greeted with a giant frostbite spider. The spider was huge, and she readied herself for battle, all the while listening to the man screams and shouts in the distance. She dragged her axe blade across the spiders' thorax, spilling its inside onto the dirty covered floor, but not before the spider managed to get a good bit in on her shoulder.

Zakira ignored the poison that ran through her veins for she knew it could do her no harm. She wasn't immune to the burning sensation however, and her shoulder felt like a red hot coal straight form a blacksmiths' fire. She finally came face to face with the source of the screaming, and found the reason why she came here in the first place.

"Oh good, you killed it. Now cut me down from here." A Dunmer was hung suspended from thick spider websin the middle of a hallway entrance. Zakira found it amusing, considering the man's circumstance.

"Just wait a second. The claw you stole. Where is it?" Zakira knew he had something to do with all of this, considering he left the bandit group behind.

"Look, just cut me down. I know how the claw works. The hall of stories, the markings, it's all connected…" The Dumner continued on and on before Zakira had enough of him, and sliced the webs that suspended him still.

With a laugh and a grin, he turned tail and ran from the vampire, shouting that he has no intentions of sharing the 'treasure' with anyone. Zakira kind of foretold the man doing this, so she just shrugged it off, and kept a brisk pace behind the fleeing man. Hearing the man's' panting sent a small giggle to her, knowing that there are probably worse monsters in this place of ancients.

As if on cue, the two seized their chase in a open catacomb that was full of ancient corpes and traps. One of the corpses, no surprise to Zakira, came to life speaking some old forgotten language. The Dunmer drew a small blade to defend himself, but saw too late that there were two surrounding him. With multiple thrusts from the shambling dead, blades repeatedly pieced the mans' chest and arm, and blood splattered all across the hall. With a weak finally scream, the man fell dead on the stone covering, and the two dead being looked to her for their next victim. Zakira flew forward toward one of the draugr, and split its skull in two with a downward chop of her axe. The other swung left to try to hit her with its old rusted blade, but she dodged it easily before it can land a blow. She responded with a low kick to get it off balance, and decapitated it with her own weapon.

The smell of draugrs' blood was putrid and grotesque. It is as someone stuffed a dead fish wrapped in withered deathbell up her nose. The more draugr she cut open during the fighting, the more nauseous she became. She fought her way through more and more chambers full of these long dead zombies before she came to a sealed door with markings all around them. A hallway leading to this sealed door were covered in markings as well, almost as if a storey was written to tell times of the old.

"Oh, the hall of stories. So that's what that Dunmer was talking about." Zakira said to herself out loud as she threw the satchel she carried with her on the ground. She began rummaging through the bag before coming across the journal she took from the mans corpse. She read through the mans notes, and looked to the golden claw she carried. She matched the markings on the door with that of the claw, and the door slowly began to open, revealing a large cavern that led to a stone structure with waterfall in the back side of the wall.

Zakira was still weary of draugr that haunted these halls, and she made no attempt to make herself vulnerable. She kept her axe out in a ready position, and slowly crept her way to the stone structure. Once she finally reached the massive figure, it began to call to her, as if a chorus of men were chanting for her to come closer. Symbols of words shown bright within the stone, and almost immediately after she stood in front of them, the words disappeared; however, she felt a surge of power and pressure course throughout her entire body. Her blood began to run rampant, and her body started to vibrate. As soon as it began, the feeling went away as if it never happened.

As soon as Zakira regained her senses, a coffin that was sitting close to the stone structure, burst open. A large draugr came crawling out of his long forgotten tomb, poised to strike the intruder down. His eyes glowed bright blue, and he wore a horned metal helmet over its head.

"Qolaas se Dinok" The strong looking draugr spoke to Zakira in a raspy voice, echoing off the stone cavern walls. Its' voice carrying power and authority.

Zakira snarled as the old one spoke, and readied her weapon for battle. The draugr attacked first, swinging his massive blade toward her with surprising speed. Zakira was taken back at its swiftness, and barely parried the sword, knocking the draugr away from her for a moment. She tried to counter attack with a downward blow, but the lively corps grabbed her hand before she could strike. The thing grinned at her and began to chuckle.

"Aav vulom" The deadly draugr spoke once again in a brooding manner, anticipating its' victory.

Zakira slipped her knife from her hip, and plunged the blade deep in the neck of the laughing brute. The draugr dropped its blade, and held at the knife, slowly pulling it out. Black blood splattered all over the ground, but Zakira knew this was her chance. She came down with her hefty axe, and cleaved the head off of its shoulders; the bright blue slowly fading from its eyes as it went limp, crashing onto the floor.

With its demise, a stone tablet, roughly the size of her satchel fell from the corps. Zakira couldn't help but pick the artifact up to inspect it. She didn't know what it was, but she felt like she should hold onto it for something in the future. The stone was intrigue with old symbols. Just thin, Zakira felt a course of energy run thru her, and she knew she came across something with will lead her down a long road of discovery.


	4. Chapter 4

The Hero of the North

"So tell me, I hear you know something about these recent alleged dragon attacks." A tall Nord sat on a wooden throne in the middle of a great hall in Whiterun, located near the center plains of Skyrim.

Jarl Balgruff was not one to suffer fools, but he knew to listen any aid he could muster, especially when it came to aiding his people in the hold. Zakira looked on to the jarl, knowing Nords are sometimes ill tempered, bit she liked to get her jokes in whenever she could.

"Of course my Jarl. I came face to face with such a dragon mere days ago…" Zakira smiled but not enough to show her fangs. "Before the empire was to depart my head from my beloved body that is." She made a hand gesture of cutting her throat, and rolled her eyes toward her head, only showing white.

The dark elf that accompanied the Jarl didn't seem amused, nor did the Jarl himself seem humored by the vampires display. The deadpan looks on their faces told Zakira that they were not in the mood for games.

"Fine, a dragon destroyed Helgen, and I think it was flying over toward the north." Zakira put her hand on her hip next to her newly crafted steel axe, and she dropped her large back satchel she carried with her, forcing a loud clang echoing throughout the halls. She was tired, considering she traveled from Bleak Falls burrow, to Riverwood and all the way to Whiterun without a moments rest. At this point, all she could do to stave off the sun was to wear a ragged hood over her head.

"Well I'm glad you brought this to my attention, and to come straight here after that nasty business, speaks volumes of your character." Balgrufs aid that stood by his side spoke before the Jarl, wanting to at least thank the weary traveler for this bit of news.

"Right... I came over as soon as that incident occurred. You bet." Zakira looked around with a sly grin, thinking about her time in the cave, the town and the burrow. Not to mention brining that golden claw back to those town merchants who initially lost it. She was thinking of keeping the claw for herself, but she finally went against that thought as she began to think of her past life.

 _"You're a good and noble person. The world would be so much better with you to defend it."_ That unfamiliar voice would play in her head over and over until she thought to give the claw back. As she thought to herself, the Jarl began to speak once again.

"Regardless, I have a city to protect, and a hold to care for. I will deploy extra troops to Riverwood at once." The Jarl spoke with a thunderous tone as his aid protested. He cared little of his aids' political schemes, and he requested the help of Zakira as well.

Once the talking was over and the jarl gave each of his retainers' instructions, he walked over to the vampire, walking her over to his court wizard. The man was young yet sported a scruffy beard and blue mage robes. Curious, Zakira listened to what the man had to say.

"Oh yes, thank you my Jarl that is quite alright." The man greeted his master's presence, and began to speak to Zakira.

"There is a matter of importance I wanted to discuss with him, but I haven't found anyone to do it. I need someone to find a stone tablet from a place called Bleak Falls burrow."

"Wait…" Zakira, taken back from what the mage just said.

"If you needed something from that tomb of bones, then you are in luck my friend." The vampire dropped her satchel to the wooden floor with a low thud, eager to bring out what she had discovered for the man. She was worried that she may never get rid of the heavy stone tablet, but imagine her luck in what this court wizard needed.

"Oh my, you are quite resourceful aren't you? Well, I'm afraid that this is where your job ends and mine begins." The cloaked man spoke with enthusiasm after Zakira handed him the stone tablet, seething with excitement as he eyed the gray old piece of stone.

Just as Zakira left the mage, and began to take a seat at the halls table to pour herself a mug of mead, Irileth, the Jarls' houscarl, busted through the door in a fit. Her body language screamed danger, and her sweat ran down her face in a torrent of water.

"You!" Irileth pointed to Zakira with a stern finger and a parched face. "You need to come at once; a dragon was spotted near the northern watchtower. We need to speak to the Jarl, now move it."

Zakira and Irelith moved with haste with an exhausted guard, and they finally reached Jarl Bulgruff. After listening to the tired guard and what the jarl wanted to do, Zakira rushed down with the dark elf to the guard station in front of the city, running past worried citizens and town guardsmen.

"Listen up men, we have reason to believe the watch tower was attacked… by a dragon." Irelith stated with a mere calmness in her voice, but with an apparent dismay about her demeanor.

"What!?"

"Oh now we are dead…"

Various reactions rang from the gathered guard as Irelith spilled the news. Zakira drowned out the remaining speech the dark elf gave, and became distracted with a all too familiar feeling. Excitement. For she does not remember much before her time in that dreadful cave, she does remember she was battle hardened, and she loved a good fight.

 _"A chance to fight a dragon…"_ Zakira, imagining to herself slaying a giant fire breathing beast, had her thoughts cut short as she was shoved toward the city's' gates.

"After a brisk run to the distant watch tower, Zakira, Irelith and the others looked on in the aftermath of the scaled monsters' wrath. The tower itself still stood, but the land and structures surrounding it weren't so lucky. Blooms of smoke and raging fire remained, and as the company of warriors came closer, a guard quickly ran out of the smoldering ruin.

"NO, stay back. It's still here somewhere!" An older man wrapped in Whiterun tattered guard regiments spoke, trying to worn the approaching group. "It grabbed Torik as he made a run for it.

With a loud and thunderous roar, Zakira and the others looked to the sky, seeing a large green dragon fast approaching. With wings spanning so wide, it blocked out the sun from where they stood. As the beast reared its head, Zakira knew it was about to attack. She brought out her steel axe, and readied her empty hand with a ward spell, blocking the ensuing flame spat by the winged beast.

Zakira brought her hand down as the dragon fly away, seeing it make another turn. Thinking on her feet, she looked around for an advantage, and it presented itself on top of the tower. She ran as fast as she could before the dragon made its complete circle, and perched herself on top of the towers edge. As soon as the scaly monster fly past close enough, the vampire leapt from the over crop, and landed onto the dragons back as she sunk her axe blade into the creases of its scales.

With a loud roar in protest, the dragon flew erratically, trying to shake loose the woman who latched themselves onto him. In vain, the dragon slowly began to descend onto the ground, and was met with the remaining company of mortals who began to slash and stab its thick hide. With anger, the dragon reared its head, and latched its toothed mouth on one of the guards, thrashing the man about and tossing him far away as the man died.

Zakira knew this was her chance, and pulled her blade from the beast, and jumped toward its head with a fury she kept from within. With a loud yell and her axe raised, she brought the glinting axe down with such force, the cold steel cut deep in the back of the dragons' neck. With loud whimpers of protest, the dragon let out a spew of flame as its head slowly fell to the ground, its body along with it.

As the light in its' eyes fade, the dragon looked directly into Zakiras', finding the light that stared back at it all too familiar. With its dying breath, it utters in silent whisper to the woman who slew him "Dovahk…"

Before it could finish its words, the fell beast died, and a bright light began to twirl around Zakira. Soon after the light began, thunderous winds and sounds accompanied the colors that flowed thru her, and the dragons body was slowly deteriorating, save for the dragons bones. Shock and awe ran thought the company of soldiers, as they witnessed something beyond anything any of them had ever seen before.

"By the eight, you are… Dragonborn." A Whiterun guard spoke to her, still reeling in shock. He and the rest of the guards, along with Irelith, began to close in around her.

"You need to get back to the Jarl, and tell him what happened here. Ignore all this nonsense of this… Dragonborn." Irelith, fed up with the other guards continuing on about dragons and old tales, signaled for Zakira to leave and make way back to the city.

 _"What just happened?"_ Along the way, Zakira grew confused at why that flashing light surrounded her after she killed that dragon. As she made her way back toward the city, along the road were two bandits, and she knew what they wanted.

"Hey there missy, give us your gold." A tall and slim bandit demanded while pulling out a long iron blade.

"Sorry boys, I don't have any gold to spare."

"Well…" the bandit walked closer to Zakira, looking up and down at her. "Perhaps there is another way you can pay us to leave you alone." The bandits smirked and giggled to themselves.

Zakira smiled, but then felt a surge of energy course within her. She reared her head back, and she shouted "FUS" and a thunderous boom echoed. As she spoke, a force of wind pushed passed her body, and forced the bandits to stagger as the wind impacted their bodies. She didn't hesitate, and she leapt to one of the bandits, shoving her hand deep in his belly. She ripped her hand out of the mans' stomach, and turned to the tall and slender man. His sword was already coming down for a blow, but she whipped her axe before him, severing his arm. The man fell to the ground in agony, and Zakira closed in.

Zakira grabbed a chunk of hair on the mans' head, and yanked his head back, exposing his neck. She looked around to make sure nobody else was around to see, and she plunged her fangs deep in his jugular, gorging herself on his sweet red nectar. Once she was finally done, she dropped the man's now lifeless body, and she continued on to Whiterun.

As Zakira passed the first set of walls for the city, a loud thunderous boom of voices echoed throughout the walls and air. It sounded like mens voices, and she couldn't quite make out what they were saying. She knew this was important in some way, so she hurried up the steps to the keep, and spoke with the Jarl.

"Oh yes, that thunderous sound you heard, it was none other than them… the Greybeards." Jarl Bulgruff spoke with excitement, not knowing exactly how to play this out himself.

"So it is true what you say, they really were summoning you. The guards called you this Dragonborn." He continued on about the Nords' stories of old and Tiber Septim.

As the men continued talking, Zakira zoned herself out after she heard the Jarl mention to go to Iverstead to climb up a mountain. She could only imagine what that would entail, climbing up a massive mountain? But her attention was cut off with the Jarl mentioning her name once again.

"So, Zakira. After what you have done for me and my city, I would like to bestow the title of Thane to you. It is the least I can do for all you have done for me and my people. You will be given your own personal houscarl, and this blade to carry with you as a symbol of you new title." The Jarl spoke with pride, and gave Zakira a shimmering blade that glowed a slight green. She humbly accepted, and proceeded down to the main hall.

Zakira met a Nord women clad in steel armor at the main door, her hair charcoal black and a strong face. "Good day my thane, I am Lydia and I am going to be your houscarl. It is an honor to serve you." Lydia stood at attention as her Thane approached, not appearing much of how she thought.

"Why thank you Lydia, the pleasure is all mine. So, what do you say? Are you ready to cause a little bit of havoc?" Zakira grinned toward the Nord, and they both walked out into the city, ready to begin their adventure.


End file.
